Apparatus for installing wallboard on ceiling



Sept. 27, 1955 B. w. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING WALLBOARD ON CEILING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1954 B1/RRE r r W INVENTOR 721mm 11 ATTORNEY Sept 27,

B. W. TAYLOR APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING WALLBOARD ON CEILING Filed June 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IIIIIIIIIIIQ INVENTOR fiz/mErr 14 TAX/- 0/? fl ASATTORNEY United. States Patent APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING WALLBOARD ON CEILING This invention relates to an apparatus for installing wallboard on ceilings, and has for one of its objects the production of an apparatus which will elevate the wallboard while at an inclined position, and then automatically swing the wallboard to a substantially horizontal position and move the wallboard to a position fiat against the ceiling where the wallboard may be conveniently secured in position.

A further object of the present invention is the production of a simple and efficient tripping means for automatically swinging the wallboard from an inclined position, or a substantially vertical position, to a substantially horizontal position.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, showing the wallboard in a position prior to being elevated;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the apparatus in the position shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating the operating crank and cable drum;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus, showing the wallboard raised to a ceiling engaging position;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating one of the tripping shoes engaging one of the tripping plates;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 77 of Figure 4;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of one of the tripping arms and shoes.

By referring to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that 10 designates an upright frame which is carried by a base 11. The base 11 is preferably supported by rollers or casters 12 to facilitate moving the frame 10 to a desired position. The upright frame 10 preferably comprises vertical spaced parallel track bars 13 suitably braced, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. A drum supporting frame 14 is carried by the base 11, upon which frame 14 is rotatably mounted a drum 15, which is preferably driven by a crank and worm drive 16 and 17, respectively. One end of the lifting cable 18 is secured to and wound about the drum 15. This cable passes over a pulley or sheave 19 at the top of the frame 10 and is secured at its opposite end to the transverse bar 20 at the bottom of the vertically slidable wallboard lifting frame 21. The pulley or sheave 19 is journaled within a housing 22 which is carried at the upper end of the upright frame 10. This housing is braced by the inclined braces 22. The upper ends 23 of the track bars 13 are rearwardly and upwardly curved to facilitate the swinging of the lifting frame 21 from a substantial vertical to a horizontal 2,719,060 Patented Sept. 27, 1955 position as the lifting frame 21 rides over the upper ends of the track bars 13.

The lifting frame 21 comprises a pair of upwardly and rearwardly inclined parallel strips 24 which carry transverse connecting cleats 25. The strips 24 carry suitable wallboard supporting abutments such as the abutment 26 shown in Figure 1 upon which the lower edge of the wallboard panel 27 rests, when supported upon the lifting frame 21 prior to being elevated to its horizontal position. The frame 21 in its initial position is inclined inwardly and upwardly upon the upright frame 10, the bottom of the frame 21 resting upon the base 11 and the top resting against the front face of the track bars 13, as shown in Figure 1. The strips 24 may be connected at their upper ends by the transverse strip 24*. v

A pair of rearwardly extending laterally spaced tripping plates 28 are secured at their forward edges to the inner faces of the strips 24. Each tripping plate 28 is provided with a tripping notch 29 in its upper face, and an upwardly extending forwardly inclined tooth-like guide 30 is located adjacent the notch 29, as shown in Figures 1 and 5.

A pair of runner bars 31 abut the front face of the track bars 13, and are secured longitudinally within the channeled shoes 32. These shoes 32 are U-shaped in cross sections and slidably engage the track bars 13, as shown in detail in Figure 5. The shoes 32 are hinged to the rear face of the lifting frame 21.

Tripping arms 33 and 34 are pivotally hung from the upper housing 22, preferably near the top thereof, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5. The arm 33 carries a pivotally connected tripping shoe 35 at its lower end, which shoe 35 is provided with a channel 36 at its bottom. This channel 36 is closed at its forward end by a transverse bridge tooth 37 for engagement with the notch 29 of the tripping plates 28 on one side of the frame 21. The arm 34 carries a similar shoe 38 at its lower end for engagement with the tripping plate on the opposite side of the lifting frame 21.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

A wallboard panel 27 is placed upon the frame 21 and the crank 16 is turned to wind the cable 18 upon the drum 15 to pull the runner bars 31 and shoes 32 upwardly, the cable passing over the pulley 19 for this purpose. Since the frame 21 is carried by the shoes 32, the frame 21 will be pulled vertically of the upright frame 10. As the frame 21 reaches the upper end of the frame 10, the notches 29 of the tripping plates 28 will receive the bridge tooth of each shoe in the manner shown in Figure 5, wherein the bridge tooth 37 of the shoe 35 engages the notch 29 of the tripping plate 28. As the frame 21 continues its upward movement, the arms 33 and 34 swing forwardly and the plates 28 swing downwardly to the position shown in Figure 4. The frame 21 and the wallboard panel 27 will in this manner be swung from an upwardly inclined or substantially vertical position to a horizontal position, fiat against the ceiling. The rounded or curved upper ends of the track bars 13 facilitate the swinging of frame 21 to a horizontal position when reaching the extremity of the frame 10. After the wall-board has been anchored in position upon the ceiling, the crank 16 is rotated in an opposite direction to permit the frame 21 to descend to its original position shown in Figure 1.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the mechanical construction and arrangement of parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention so long as such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims. It should also be understood that the device may be used to install wallboard upon side walls as well as upon ceilings, within the scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a base, an upright frame carried by said base, a wallboard lifting frame initially supported upon said upright frame in a substantially vertical position, means for moving said lifting frame vertically of said upright frame, tripping means for automatically swinging said lifting frame from a substantially vertical to a horizontal position, said upright frame comprising a plurality of vertical track bars, runner bars slidable upon said track bars, said lifting frame being hinged to said runner bars, tripping plates carried by said lifting frame, and said tripping means comprising tripping arms carried by said upright frame engageable with said tripping plates for automatically swinging said lifting frame.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are pivoted to said frame, and pivoted shoes having means for gripping said plates are carried by said arms.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are pivoted to said frame, pivoted shoes having means for gripping said plates are carried by said arms, said plates having notches upon their upper faces, and each shoe has a bridge tooth adapted to engage the notches of said plates for gripping said plates.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein pivoted shoes having means for gripping said plates are carried by said arms, a housing is carried by the upper end of said upright frame, and said arms are pivoted to said housing.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said arms are pivoted to said frame, pivoted shoes having means for gripping said plates are carried by said arms, said plates having notches upon their upper faces, each shoe having a bridge tooth adapted to engage the notches of said plates for gripping said plates, and a tooth-like guide is adjacent each notch for guiding said bridge tooth into said notch.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein channeled shoes are carried by said runner bars, and said shoes slidably engage said track bars.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,337,796 Baker Dec. 28, 1943 2,378,984 Couture June 26, 1945 2,443,349 Foster June 15, 1948 

